Fort Wayne Fashion : Downton Abbey Era
Description:

Dress, c. 1920s

Woman's dress of cream colored crepe with hearts and flowers embroidery of same color around V-neck and skirt. Below the waist tie belt; front of dress has small section of gathers. Back flap with sides of skirt overlapping; scalloped hemline. Belonged to Lillian Jacobs Tolan (1891-1973).

Hat, 1927

Medium blue grosgrain cloche with metallic embroidery. Bought at Fishman's Department Store by Mildred Bahde Hendricks. It was the first hat bought with her own income to accompany her future husband to the Palace to see Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians whom D. Wayne Hendricks knew.
Description:
The roaring Twenties gave rise to the shift dress which provided no real definition of shape. The lower leg was showing and arms were often bare; such exposure would have never been seen in prior decades. This look would have been topped off with a cloche hat. They became all the rage leaving wide brimmed sun hats behind and the fitted, low slung bell shaped cloche as the new style.
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